Folded and compressed sanitary napkin



1956 c. w. LEUPOLD FOLDED AND COMPRESSED SANITARY NAPKIN Filed June 7, 1955 INVENTOR. GURT WALTER LEUPOLO BY W United States PatcntO This invention relates to an improvement in a sanitary napkin, and it has for its main object the provision of a sanitary napkin for traveling and sports which is folded and then compressed to keep its size as small as possible.

The ends of such compressed sanitary napkins presentlyin use are superimposed so that the end margins are covering each other. It is therefore troublesome to find those two end strips which are firmly pressed to the equally white body of the napkin and adhering to it by the compressing action, and to unfold the sanitary napkin.

It is one of the features of the present invention that the two end strips of the sanitary napkin are not evenly superimposed, but the napkin is folded upon itself in such a manner that the ends are placed one a little after the other. This will be accomplished simply by folding the napkin not along a line exactly midway between its ends, as has been the practice, but by arranging the first folding somewhat sideways, whereby one end strip slightly overlaps the other. By marking the overlapping end margins, i. e., with a red line, they can easily be discerned and the unfolding of the napkin greatly facilitated.

A further improvement is accomplished by interposing an insert element between the end strip directly in contact with the body of the napkin and that part of the napkin body adjacent to said end strip, said insert element preventing the adhering of the end strip to the adjacent part of the napkin body during the compressing action. Said insert element may consist of a small slip of parchment, paper, cellophane, or the like, upon which an advertising text, a re-order, a control number, instructions for use, or the like may be printed. This insert element may also be provided in the form of a long strip and may be interposed along the entire half of the sanitary napkin.

The adhering of the end strips of the sanitary napkin to that part of the napkin body adjacent to said end strips may also be avoided by impregnating an adequate length of the end strips with a substance preventing adhesion during the compressing action.

Likewise, an insert slip may also be interposed between the two end strips of the sanitary napkin in order to avoid their adhesion, which slip may be placed between the ends only of more or less up to half of the length of the sanitary napkin, or the ends may be impregnated up to the desired length against adhesion under pressure.

The attached drawing shows two embodiments of the invention. In these drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sanitary napkin, before folding;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the napkin of Fig. 1, in folded, but uncompressed condition, and with the insert slips therein;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but with the napkin in compressed condition, and

2,772,678 Patented Dec. 4, 1956 Fig. 5 shows a modification of the invention.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 of the draw ings, reference numeral 1 indicates the body of the napkin, which is usually formed of cellulose wadding or cotton wool or any other absorbent material adapted to be easily loosened after having been compressed.

The body 1 is enclosed in a wrapping or covering 2 of gauze or like material, the ends 3 and 4 of which extend a substantial distance beyond the ends of the body 1.

The ends 3 and 4 are appropriately marked, i. e., by conspicuous red lines 5 and 6 respectively, and are therefore easily discernible.

The napkin is then folded in the manner shown in Fig. 3. In thus folding the napkin, one of the ends which may be the end 3 or 4, depending on the direction of folding, terminates short of the other end, so as to leave the other underlying end exposed. Between the ends, an insert slip 7 is interposed, and between the inner end and the adjacent inner portion of the napkin, a second insert slip 8 is interposed. These insert slips, which may be of parchment, paper, cellophane, or the like, prevent adhesion of portions of the napkin between which the slips are interposed, which adhesion would otherwise occur when the napkin is compressed into the condition shown in Fig. 4. By thus preventing adhesion, the ends 3 and 4 can be readily unfolded when the napkin is to be used, the inserts, in fact, being able to be grasped, so as to assist in the unfolding. The inserts may be short, as shown, or may extend up to half the length of the napkin.

The above described, slightly overlapping position of one end strip of the folded sanitary napkin will also be accomplished-depending upon length and thickness of the napkin-when it is folded upon itself substantially midway between its ends, the difierence in the position of the ends being effected when the folded napkin is rolled up.

In Fig. 5, another embodiment of the invention is shown, in which, instead of using inserts, as described in connection with Figs. 1 to 4, the ends 3 and 4 of the napkin are impregnated, as indicated by reference numeral 9, with a substance which prevents adhesion during the compressing action. This impregnation may extend for a substantial length of the ends 3 and 4.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention,

herewith shown and described, are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 321,887, filed November 21, 1952, now abandoned.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Folded and compressed sanitary napkin, folded upon itself approximately midway between its ends, rolled up and then compressed, the end margins being placed one a little after the other, said end margins being free from attachment to each other along their lateral edges, whereby unfolding of the napkin by separation of one of-the end margins from the other is facilitated.

2. Folded and compressed sanitary napkin according to claim 1, having its end margins marked with color.

3. A folded and compressed sanitary napkin, as defined in claim 1, having between its ends an interposed insert element, said element serving to prevent adhesion between said ends when in face-to-face contact.

4. A folded and compressed sanitary napkin, as defined in claim 1, having between one of its ends and the adjacent part of the napkin an interposed insert element,

3 said insert element serving to prevent adhesion between said end and said adjacent part.

5. A folded and compressed sanitary napkin, folded upon itself approximately midway between its end, rolled up and then compressed, the end marginsv being placed one a little after the other, and impregnated with a substance which prevents adhesion therebetween during the compressing action.

6. A folded and compressed sanitary napkin compressing a napkin body, a wrapping for said body, said wrapping having end portions extending beyond the ends of said body, said body and Wrapping being folded, and compressed in such a manner as to leave both ends of said end portions exposed, with one of the ends, terminating short of the other, said end portions being free from attachment to each other along their marginal edges, whereby to facilitate separation of one end portion from the other when the napkin is to be unfolded.

7. A folded and compressed sanitary napkin, as defined in claim 6, in which said ends are impregnated with a substance which prevents adhesion therebetween during the compressing action.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

